1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to bowling lanes and, more particularly, to improvements in pin spots that are placed on a bowling lane pin deck.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Until the middle of the twentieth century, bowling centers employed pin-boys, also known as pinsetters or pinspotters, to manually reset bowling pins in their correct position as indicated by pin spots, clear fallen pins and return bowling balls to the players. The bowling pins were something manually placed on pin spots, painted on the pin deck, that were slightly larger than the diameter of the bottom of the pins. The constant, repetitive placing of bowling pins on the pin spots caused them to wear unevenly in comparison to the surrounding surfaces of the bowling lane. A number of removable and/or replaceable pin spot inserts were developed that were resistant to wear and imbedded into the bowling lane. These inserts could be installed in recesses in the pin decks and removed when worn or damaged rather than resurfacing the entire pin deck. Examples of these devices can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 715,215 entitled Bowling Alley Pin Spot, 1,020,646 entitled Pin Spot for Bowling Alleys and 2,469,219 entitled Pin Spot Marker for Bowling Alleys.
By about the 1930s, the automatic pinsetter had been invented, which largely did away with the need for employing pin-boys and also for replaceable pin spots. The automatic pinsetters were able to consistently place bowling pins on the pin deck with a minimal amount of force against the pin deck thereby reducing uneven wear on the pin deck. Nevertheless, pin spots have remained a part of bowling lanes, although presently they are simply a darkened portion of the bowling lane material and not made from a separate material or even painted on. The primary purpose of painted pin spots is to facilitate the inspection of automatic pinsetters. Since the pin spots have a slightly larger diameter than the bottom of a standard bowling pin, a quick visual check can be made to determine if any pin is set in such a way that the outer edge of its corresponding pin spot is not visible.
Further advances in pin deck construction included the use of high pressure laminate material adhesively bound to a wooden base or a strictly synthetic material, both having an external surface with the appearance of finished wood. Improvements have also been made in lane surface maintenance, care and conditioning. Many modern bowling centers employ state-of-the-art lane finishing equipment, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,923,863, entitled Apparatus and Method for Bowling Lane Maintenance. Special lane conditioners and oils have been developed to exact higher scores and are applied with precision and uniformity. Furthermore, most bowling centers have clean environments, knowledgeable employees and strict maintenance schedules.
For the most part, this improved lane conditioning has resulted in higher scores and has been greeted with enthusiasm by the bowling world. However, one problem, the standing out-of-range pin, has risen significantly due to the increased use of lane conditioners and oils. The out-of-range pin can cause equipment problems, especially to automatic pinsetters, as well as cause bowler frustration over having the pin slide and not being knocked over. The out-of-range pin typically occurs when a bowling pin slides, and remains standing, instead of falling when struck by a bowling ball or another pin. As a result, the pin is not counted as being knocked down, even though the automatic pinsetter strikes the pin on the next cycle and knocks it down. Out of range pin sliding is especially problematic on lanes with pin decks made of synthetic materials because these decks are very smooth and flat. Pins are therefore more likely to slide on them than wood decks, which have some degree of roughness even if they are very highly polished.
The increase in this pin sliding action, rather than falling action, can be attributable to a number of factors. The most common cause of out-of-range pins is the presence of conditioner or oil on the pin deck. This can be caused by conditioner or oil “carry down” occurring when a bowling ball transfers a streak of oil or conditioner from the lane to the pin deck. Another cause can be a lane cleaning system that is not functioning properly, thereby leaving oil residue on the pin deck. Even a properly functioning cleaning system may not use enough cleaning solution to properly clean the pin deck. A final cause of out-of-range pins is that when the wood base of a bowling pin wears down and exposes a hard plastic ring that is commonly placed in a notch at the bottom of the pin. The ring then makes contact with the pin deck. Since the plastic ring has less friction than wood, the likelihood of sliding is increased.
Therefore, the need has arisen for a solution to reduce out-of-range pins that is easy to use, simple to install and remove, and has a smaller footprint than the previous solutions.